Toronto Raptors: 3 reasons Jalen Green should be the pick at No. 4

For the first time in over 7 seasons, the Toronto Raptors missed the playoffs, giving draft lottery night a whole new meaning for Raptors fans. Entering Tuesday night, the Raptors had a 31.9% chance at a top 4 pick, not bad, but not amazing. Surely no shot at landing someone like Cade Cunningham or Jalen Green, right?

Luckily for Toronto, the lotto balls went their way and helped them land the No. 4 pick in the draft, with Detroit, Houston, and Cleveland rounding out the top 3. Getting the No. 4 selection has Toronto sitting pretty, allowing them to sit back and select whoever remains of the consensus top four.

With Cunningham and Evan Mobley unlikely to be available when Toronto is on the clock, it comes down to Green and Jalen Suggs as the most likely candidates to be available for the taking.

While Suggs may be the better player day 1, Green’s sky-high potential may be more intriguing to a team like Toronto with an incredible player development system.

3 reasons the Toronto Raptors should draft Jalen Green

3. Fixable Flaws/High Upside

No, Green is not a perfect prospect. Nor is anyone in this draft. What makes him stand out as a prospect is that the flaws in his game can be easily fixed with good coaching and experience. Green’s weaknesses include defensive play, decision-making, and lack of playmaking. Luckily for Green, we’ve seen players with his exact flaws develop these weaknesses into strengths.

A perfect example of this is former Raptor DeMar DeRozan. Just like Green, he’s a scoring wing that struggled with playmaking early in his career. Since joining Gregg Popovich, he has made playmaking one of his strengths and has become one of the better point-forwards in the league.

Toronto Raptors: Jalen Green’s upside is immense

While Cunningham, Mobley, and Suggs might be better on Day 1, Green’s ceiling could have him as the best player in the draft when it’s all said and done. Green has certain traits in his game that simply can’t be taught.

Unlike most prospects, Green decided to forgo college and instead join the G-League Ignite. In the G-League, Green faced tougher competition than he would have faced at the college level. Green showed promise in his one season in the G-League where he solidified himself as a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft.

Entering the NBA, Green might be better prepared than most think because of the tough competition he faced. Green is still a raw talent that needs to be developed to reach his ceiling, but if a team with a good development system like Toronto is able to get their hands on Green, he’s someone that can effortlessly score 25 points a night.

2. Athleticism

Without a doubt, Green is by far the most athletic player in this draft. He’s an explosive player with quick feet, making him one of the most electric players in this draft. Pair his explosiveness with his jump-out-the-gym ability, and you have a freaky athlete on your hands. His quickness off the dribble and verticality will translate well to the pros.

Athleticism is something that can’t be coached into a player, which is why Jalen Green is so coveted by NBA scouts. Green’s athleticism really flashes on the offensive side of the ball. He uses his explosive first step to blow past defenders and uses his elusiveness to slither his way past contact for open looks.

Jalen Green’s athleticism can improve a weakness.

While Green is a highlight machine on offense, his work on the defensive end leaves a lot to be desired. He’s a sub-par defender, but there’s a reason why scouts aren’t ready to write him off as a defender just yet.

Standing at 6-5 and 180 pounds, Green’s skinny frame ensures that he will almost exclusively be defending guards at the NBA level. Green’s quick feet allow him to defend the shiftiest players on the court and his elusiveness allows him to quickly fight over screens. His quick hands and reflexes enable him to strip opponents of the ball where he averaged 1.5 steals per game.

While it’s unlikely that Green will become an All-Defensive player, he certainly has the traits to become a decent one. For Green, it’s about putting it all together and keeping it consistent for 48 minutes. It’s not easy to get a young, offensive stud to buy in on defense, but if any team is capable of doing it, Toronto is one of them.

1. Scoring Ability

Green could be by the best scorer in the draft at the guard position. The scary part about it? He’s a true 3-level scorer that is nowhere close to his ceiling yet. From beyond the arc, at the rim, or in between both, Green can get buckets when called upon. In his lone season for the G-League Ignite, Green averaged 17.9 PPG on 46% from the field, and 37% from 3.

Green has the ability to create his own shot and has the confidence to pull up from anywhere on the court, something you love to see from an offensive stud like Green.

Having a scoring threat like Green is crucial to help close out games down the stretch, especially in the playoffs. The Raptors have struggled to find a “true” closer the last two seasons, and it’s cost them a handful of games. Green could almost certainly fill that void if the Raptors are lucky enough to select him.

Jalen Green can bring the best out of the Toronto Raptors

Since the departure of Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam has taken over as the team’s first option for the past 2 seasons. As expected, Siakam’s scorimg went up, but his field goal percentage took a significant regression.

Siakam is at his best when he isn’t relied on to be the team’s primary scorer. When opposing teams had to focus on Kawhi, Siakam thrived as the team’s second option en route to the franchise’s first NBA Championship.

Green can help bring back that same Siakam. If Green develops into the elite 3-level scorer that he has all the potential in the world to become, then teams will have to turn their focus to him on defense. Green’s presence on the floor allows Siakam to go to work on likely the team’s second or third best defender when all the attention is on Green.